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KTM

KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG
Corporation
Industry Motorcycle
Headquarters Mattighofen, Austria
Key people
Stefan Pierer (CEO)
Dr. Rudolf Knünz (Chairman)
Parent KTM AG
Subsidiaries Husaberg, Husqvarna
Website ktm.com

KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle manufacturer owned by CROSS Industries AG and Bajaj Auto Limited. KTM was formed in 1981 but traces its foundation as early as in 1934. In 1992 the company was spun off from its parent company KTM when it ran into financial troubles. KTM was split into four companies, all of which shared the same "KTM" branding, and at present have many more subsidiaries with the same branding. However, KTM-Sportmotorcycle is most commonly associated with the KTM brand, because it still continues the flagship business of its parent company.

KTM is known for its two-stroke and four-stroke off-road motorcycles though in recent years it has expanded into street motorcycle production and developing sports cars - One of the rarer types of KTM sports cars is called the X-Bow with a max top speed of 217 km/h (134.9 mph).

In 1934 an Austrian engineer Johann (Hans) Trunkenpolz set up a metal working and locksmith shop in Mattighofen. In 1937 he started selling DKW motorcycles and Opel cars the following year. His shop was known as Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen but the name was unregistered. During the Second World War his wife took care of the business which grew mainly of diesel engine repairs.

After the war, demand for repair works fell sharply and Trunkenpolz started thinking about producing his own motorcycles. The prototype of first motorcycle R100 was produced in 1951. All of the components of the motorcycle were produced in house, except for the Rotax engines which were made by Fichtel & Sachs.

In 1953, businessman Ernst Kronreif became a sizable shareholder of the company which was then renamed and registered as Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. KTM started serial production of R100 in 1954. With just 20 employees, motorcycles were built at the rate of three per day.

The company’s first title was secured shortly thereafter with the 1954 Austrian 125 national championship. KTM first made an appearance at the International Six Days Trials (Enduro) in 1956 where Egon Dornauer secured a gold medal. Racing continued to be a testing ground for production technology, but next in line was its first scooter, the Mirabell. It started providing a factory team for the ISDE in ’64. As the company continued to expand, the workforce totaled 400 in 1971, and forty years after it was founded, KTM was offering 42 different models.


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